Tron: Rebirth
by TRON-JA-307020
Summary: Sequel to Tron: Legacy
1. Chapter 1

**TRON: Rebirth**

Prologue

Darkness.

Darkness was all that he now knew. Darkness was all that surrounded him.

His body slowly yet surely sank, deep down into the black abyss of the Sea of Simulation. No light from the world above could shine on him, to give him hope. The infinite darkness surrounded his helpless body as it was swallowed slowly by the deep dark black, unaware, not moving, allowing what little was left of his life to be taken from him without struggle. Slowly however, awareness crept back into his mind, he could feel the freezing cold water penetrating the safety of his suit and nipping constantly at his skin. His eyes began opening, he blinked inside of his helmet. Still unaware of where he was, how he'd come to be there or who he was now, only what had been.

He remembered his life as "Rinz|er" a shadow, a shell of his former self. All his skills and ability as a warrior, yet none of his personality and conscience that made him a free thinking program, who stood for freedom and saw the Users as god like creators. He remembered blindly following Clu's orders, leading his Black Guard against any and all who opposed Clu's tyrannical rule. Including his old friend, the User and creator of this system, Kevin Flynn. Clu had been made by Flynn in his likeness, essentially to -be- Flynn whilst the User was off The Grid in the real world. Safe in the knowledge that Clu would create "the perfect system" for him. It was not to be, Clu eventually decided that he and only he could lead and govern The Grid and launched a coup de'etat against Flynn and ceased control. Rinz|er had become a key pawn in Clu's never ending game of chess with his creator Flynn. He helped in quelling any form of rebellion from Flynn or any attempts to retake power. He also played a major part in the genocide of the "ISOs" Isogenic Organisms which had come into being naturally gifted with life by The Grid itself. In his previous life he'd fought tirelessly to protect these nieve but wise beings from threats.

When Flynn had been banished from the City and Clu became its unchallenged ruler, Rinz|er took to competing the games. Proving time and time again that he was the master of everyone of them, that he had no equal. He's ruthlessly derezzed countless innocent programs, forced to battle like gladiators on both the Light Cycle Grid and the Disc Wars Arena. Eventually the son of Flynn, Sam had been tricked into entering The Grid, so that Clu could obtain Kevin Flynn's identity disc, the so called "Master Key" and escape the virtual world to the physical word. He'd sacrificed himself so that the Users could escape Clu and his minions, minions which he himself had trained and lead. Yet it was he who eventually saw the truth. That inescapable truth reflected back at him in Kevin Flynn's eyes, that showed him who and what he'd become, thanks to Clu and his reprogramming.

So now here he was, dead by all accounts, lifeless, unable to move. Giving in, giving up. Allowing himself to perish. His life flashed before his eyes now even faster, he was now remembering back further to who he was -before- Rinz|er. Flashes of him standing side by side with Kevin Flynn, flashes of him tossing his disc and defeating Sark and the MCP in another, older system. Flashes of him leaping into action to save others who could not save themselves. He began to physically feel more and more from his fingers, a few seconds later he could move them slightly, a few more seconds and he could move his arms, pulling them into view in front of his face. Just the power of mere memory was somehow empowering him, willing him on. Then he saw it, those white lights running up and down his arms, his whole suit. When he was Rinz|er he had bore orange lighting, the symbol of Clu's tyrant Black Guards. Now though, now his true self was showing through, that feeling that was oh so familiar to him, which he cherished. "Freedom." he thought to himself finding the right word, thats what these white lights signified, that was what he had stood for before Clu's reprogramming, he'd fought for it in the old system. In- this- system he'd fought to preserve it!

As the seconds passed by, he regained more and more ability and with it more and more memory. He began to flap his arms, then even began to synchronise his strokes into a front crawl, propelling himself towards the surface. Only minutes ago he'd accepted and prepared for death. Now? Now he chose to defy it! He choose to fight. Words began to form on his lips as he made fought his way to the surface, words that had almost been his last. Just as they eventually came out "I fight, for THE USERS!" he shouted with all his might as he burst from the water, grabbing and clawing his way up some rocks upon a beach repeating the words, mumbling them over and over. He refused to give in, even though every inch in his body wanted to. With trembling muscles he pulled and hauled away at anything that would give him purchase, pulling his body across the stone and rocks of the dark beach.

He rolled over on his back, his helmet automatically folded itself away into the neck section of his body suit, with his own eyes he gazed at the sky, his memory and thoughts that had given him the strength and will to survive now loyally trying to tell him somthing else, his name. His lips trembled and moved up and down mouthing the word, yet no sound came out, his eyes growing heavier and heavier with each passing nano-second. Yet once again, he displayed the same will he'd shown time and time again, never giving up, always refusing to quit. Even with his last moments of conciousness, before passing out he spoke his own true name.

"...Tron."

Chapter 1

He didn't know how much time had passed since he'd swam ashore when he woke up, blurry eyed and looking up at the stars. With a wince he rolled over onto his knees, every inch of his body aching and complaining at each and every movement, he steadily pushed himself upward with another groan and onto his shakey legs and feet and stood upright, getting an idea of his surroundings. He looked out across the Sea of Simulation at were the portal to the User world had been glowing in the constant night sky. Now it lay dark, unused. Tron smiled, it meant that Sam and Kevin Flynn had succeeded, stopped Clu and escaped back to their own world.

He walked away from the shore line and up a bank of loose black rock and gazed out at the city, Tron City. Named after him by Kevin Flynn when he'd created this new digital world. It's blue lights shon out across the sky for hundred of miles in all directions, it's sky line was embosed clearly against the dark sky which made the perfect back drop. Even from this distance somebody could count each and every tower and skyscraper of the magnificient city. He began his long journey across the so called "Outlands" which surrounded the city, the Outlands were essentially beyond the Grid, were nothing had been constructed by Flynn. Nothing lived in the Outlands except the occasional denizen program who'd chosen to live outside of the city for one reason or another, but mostly to escape the grasp of Clu's regime. The Outlands were a vast barren area with a treacherous terrain of sheer cliffs and deep ravines. Tron watched his step carefully as he walked, headed back toward the city. Each step he took seemed to become easier and easier, his functions began returned to him with each passing nanosecond. Hours passed by and he made good time, walking at a good pace, crossing a vast distance quickly.

As he grew closer to the city he could make out brief pulses of light, which he knew to be explosions within the city and then came the sound of lazer fire. Once or twice he saw the source of the sound, orange coloured "Recognisers" which were large, vertically arranged ships used for attack and troop transport flew into view for a second then dissappeared behind the great tall towers of the city. Tron new something was deeply wrong, if Clu had been stopped by the Flynns who was this that was ordering such destruction? It was possible that Clu was actually gone, derezzed and this had left a power vaccuum leaving the higher echeleons of Clu's Generals to fight over control of The Grid.

Tron continued on his trek, debating the finer points in his head until eventually deciding to leave it alone and figure it out once he got arrived at Tron City. When he was a good 50 kilometers from the city however he saw two orange shimmers of light on the horizon, heading toward him. He stopped and blinked, trying to focus his eyes and make out what it was. They were definately two seperate objects, moving low and fast, not on the ground but perhaps 20 meters above it. There was no cover, no where to hide for Tron, he stood now on a plateau of flat black rock he'd just have to stand and wait. Two minutes past, then he knew what they were...Light Jets. Constructs of light created with a "baton" which used the programs own energy to create a light flying interceptor. They'd all ready have seen the blue lights of his suit by now and they were in fact slowing as they came upon him. Tron stood his ground, waiting for them to make the first move. The two jets with bright orange highlights roared up to him then disintegrated, their pilots dropping to their feet, the batons which had become the duel joysticks for controlling the jets buzzed and flickered with orange light, snapping back together to create one whole metallic peice a foot in length. The two men wearing dark black suits and helmets which were also highlighted with orange light walked forward, one pointed and spoke "You there! Explain your presence here program!" He demanded in an harsh electronic tone. "Did you have anything to do with Lord Clu's demise? He passed this way two cycles ago!" They were both of the Black Guard, Clu's personal guard, the one doing the talking stopped ten feet from Tron, his cohort flanked him, both of them still holding their batons in hand. "I did." Said Tron, frankly. "In fact, it was me who helped to kill him." Tron wasn't ever a fancy talker like Flynn. He said as he said and was done with it. However, he knew his news wouldn't be taken lightly. He reached to his back and grabbed the Identity Disc from his back, the edge of it glowed and hummed loudly, ready to cut through anything. The disc was hollowed out in the centre, allowing Tron to grip it firmly and control it masterfully. "Stand down!" The Black Guard's demanded simulatanously, orange beams extended from both ends of their batons, creating weapons. "No." Tron said flatly. One of the Black Guard stepped back, looking uneasy, even beneath his black mask. "I-It's him...It's..." Tron finished his sentence for him "Tron!" he said suddenly and hurled his disc. Tron had directed it to the left of the guard's and away, so that it would boomerang backwards towards its master via the guard standing to the left. The man whirled around, attempting to block it with his staff of orange energy, he turned to late however missing the disc as it punched straight through him. His body derezzing quickly, breaking down like glass disintegrating. His comrade charged Tron just as his disc returned to his hand, he parried both strong blows the guard brought down on him with relative ease, then using his back leg for purchase he spun his entire body around, holding the disc outward it sliced clean through the last guard's tors area derezzing him just like his fellow guardsman.

Tron didn't feel remorse as his feet crunched through the glass like remains of the two programs. This is what he'd been created for by -his- User Allan Bradley. To be a security program, designed to protect. It was his purpose, his reason to live. It was for this reason Kevin Flynn had brough Tron here from the old system, to this new Grid he had built, to serve as it's guardian and protector. He'd done his best during the early days of the Grid, fighting off infections of "Gridbugs" graphical representations of system errors which appeared as insects and ate away at the energy produced by the grid. However in the end, he'd failed the Grid, the Programs, the ISO's and even Flynn himself. Remorse for the dead? No. Regret of his failure. Certainly!

It was time for him to atone for it now, somehow, someone had given him a second chance to make up for his failure and the dark deeds he'd done in Clu's name as his alternate persona of "Rinz|er". Someone was now attacking the Programs and city he loved and they -were- going to regret it. Tron walked over and picked up both of the guards batons which were a constant on the grid, they didn't derezz with their unfortunate wielder. He slid one baton in his belt the other he held in two hands. Someone had sent these two scouts to search for Clu. Which meant more were out here somewhere forming a search pattern for their evil leader. Tron would have to move fast and get back to the city, before the two he'd derezzed were missed. He broke out into a light jog then leapt into the air, seemingly breaking the baton in two. However between the two peices of baton a blue tinted air frame began forming, rapidly setting and generating the inner components of the jet using Tron's own energy to do so until the construct was solid and Tron now sat upon a saddle in an open topped Light Jet, the two peices of baton formed duel control sticks. Tron controlled the throttle for the singe engine with his foot much like a Light Cycle and the fighter zoomed through the air quickly towards the under seige Tron City.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Thick plumes of smoke filled the air, buildings lay in ruins, collapsed into piles that blocked off the roads of the great shining blue city. An uneasy quiet had fallen upon Tron City, as if all the inhabitant programs sat and waited for what other tragedy might befall them. Or where the next bomb might go off, will it be them next? Or will they get to live just a few moments longer. It was an eerie feeling, as if it literally washed it's way down the streets and invaded the homes of the the programs who lived there. Laying in wait, waiting for someone to come for them, to tell them it was going to be ok. The city itself was still a maginificent sight, despite the explosions and sounds of gunfire. It was hexagonal in shape, with a massive chasm surrounding the perimeter of the city. Six bridges connected the city with the rest of the Grid, running across the chasm and out beyond The Grid and into the Outlands.

Tron covered 50 Kilometers of open terrain quickly on the Light Jet, taking only a short few minutes for him to be within range of the city. He reduced his altitude and speed, intent on slipping into the city unnoticed and landing ontop of a roof top to get a look at his surroundings. He spotted a flat roof sitting just inside the perimeter of the city and set down, his Light Jet disappearing back into the baton, he slid the slender metalic device into a holster on his leg and took a look around. No enemy forces seemed to be alerted to his arrival "too busy with the destruction they were causing." he thought to himself spitefully. After a few moments he realised the lazer fire and explosions was only coming from one sector of the city, the rest of Tron City seemed to be in perfect working order, perhaps one contained battle was going on. However who ever was fighting, Clu's Black Guard seemed to have the advantage with their air power. He could now see swarms of Recognizers pelting the ground below just over the sector in which the battle was raging. Tron clenched his fist tighly with rage, staring over at the scene. This is why he was brought here, to stop carnage and chaos like this, he'd failed everyone before. He was adamant he wasn't going to again. This time he was going to make up for his failures and past misdeeds. No matter the cost...

Tron ran at the edge of the roof top, pulling the baton from it's holster then threw himself from the roof, legs and arms spread wide as he fell towards the ground in a star shape. Twenty feet above the obsidian coloured road he pulled the baton, this time the frame of a Light Cycle formed, he landed seated on its saddle and leaned forward gripping the handles tight and reving the throttle to maximum. The wheels of the cycle hit the ground first, the momentum built up by the engine in mid air forcing the brunt of the impact forwards, the suspension taking care of the rest and the gorgeous blue tinted motorcycle roared down the street towards the battle.

The air was filled with the roar of a Recognizer's engine, hovering into the downtown area, slowly landing on its gigantic legs. The main section of the Recognizer then lowered down the legs, using them as supports like an elevator. Twelve of Clu's soldiers clad in orange and black charged from the main section and down the street towards the intersection were other soldiers awaited, grouped around the very centre of the four way junction in the streets. They had a group of insurgents encircled and were engaging them in battle, through numbers and skill they were winning, just an hour ago there had been over thirty rebels, now there were a mere six. The Black Guard had over 40 men, more than enough, they all took turns at dueling with them, arrogantly waiting for one of their number to fall so athey could get a chance at victory. However even though all hope should have been lost and the derezzing of these remaining six just casual fact now, they fought on. One of the Guard Captains turned to his men "Wait your turn men you'll all get you cha..." he didn't finish his words, an Identity Disc cut clean through him, thrown by the leader of the rebels. His disc returning to him just in time for him to deflect a blow from the soldier whom he'd been dueling withs light staff. A short flurry of sparks and light ensued as each combatant tried to get the upper hand on the the other. Blue vs Orange. The dark skinned leader of the rebels had a plan earlier, take back the Grid. Now. Now his only plan was to go down fighting. His name was Shaddox, formerly Clu's assistant before the purge, during the creation of the Grid. When Clu was Flynn's Chief Administrator. Now he was the leader of the small rebellion based in Tron City, they'd planned on destroying one of Clu's primary vehicle plants, where Light Tanks were constructed, when they heard the news of Clu's demise. They'd been counting on Clu's remaining forces being in complete chaos, fighting with each other for power. They weren't, they'd been fully prepared for any reprisal attacks. They'd gotten as far as the factory before being ambushed, loosing seventeen men in the first wave, Recognizers had bombarded them from above then pursued them here. Shaddox locked his disc with the Black Guard's staff, sparks flew, he attempted on pushing the cutting edge of the orange glowing staff into the chest of it's owner. However Shaddox had been dueling and running for an hour non stop and he was now exhausted. His muscles trembled and gave way to the fully charged Black Guard and he was knocked backward landing hard onto his back. The Guard was on him in moments, ready to be the one who slew the Rebellion's leader. He raised his staff, glowing orange blades hummed from both sides of it preparing for the killing stroke. It was not to be, a blue glowing light sword plunged through his chest, it's helemeted owner shouted with an electronic voice "Get up Shaddox! We're not dead yet!" His name was Thyer, a former performer and gladiator of the Grid, his renown in combat was matched only by Tron himself. Shaddox sprung to his feet side by side with Thyer the two set upon The Black Guard's formation ranks crowded round them, their sudden attack caught them intially off guard some where derezzed instantly, however the fully mobilzed remaining troops all charged on the six rebels cutting and swiping with their batons, swords and discs. No longer prepared to wait their turn. Shaddox suddenly found himself engaging four Black Guard at once, Clu's elite. Out of the corner of his eye he saw two more rebels being derezzed. Thyer was in a similar situation as Shaddox, surrounded by six Guard's he expertly dispatched two of them with two quick swipes of his sword but two more joined their comrades and Thyer was now again on the defensive and cut off from Shaddox. The Rebel leader was no soldier, he'd been programmed for admistration and dilegation duties, his skill with a disc was limited. All he could do with these four Black Guard now upon him was to deflect and parry, he struggled to keep up. The end was near and Shaddox knew it. However even through all the fear and hate in his head and the sounds of weapons clashing, programs shouting he could hear over it all, the roar of a light cycle.

The Black Guard were far too concerned with their helpless prey to even notice the riderless blue light cycle smashing through their crowded ranks, then falling onto its side and sliding through them, before finally hitting a wall. The path of the out of control cycle had derezzed close to twelve of the clueless Black Guards, most of which never seen what it was that hit them. The fighting and battling stopped momentarily, all of the duels came to a brief halt as everyone turned to see what had just happened. They could see the Light Cycle lieing in a heap at the base of one of the many surrounding buildings. "Soldiers of the Black Guard!" A voice boomed. "You'll get one chance and one chance only." They all turned to see a warrior wearing blue armour, standing at the top of one of the streets. "Leave...Now." The warrior ordered, then pulled his Disc from his back standing in a fighting pose. The Black Guard, although momentarily taken a back had no intention of retreating, six men formed up and charged up the street towards the solitary soldier. The loan warrior didn't move or flinch as they troops approached, Shaddox watched on just as stunned as everyone else. There was a brief exchange between the new arrival and the orange clad troopers, discs and staffs clashed yet one by one the Black Guard were derezzed, swiftfully and skillfully. More troopers formed up and charged the man, he in return charged at them. Shaddox had recognised that voice, but it couldn't be him. He's warrior threw his disc just before reaching the troops in a wide arc, catching two off guard and derezzing them, he then displayed keen acrobatic abilities and flipped over the remainder, catching his disc mid flight then bringing it down in an axe handle manuver, splitting a soldier below him clean in half. He defelcted and countered the strikes of the other guards almost casually before landing derezzing blows on them as well before turning and charging the main group of Black Guard. He was now close enough for Shaddox to make him out, seeing the 'T' displayed on his chest, marked out by three dots at the top and one downward. It -was- him! Somehow, Tron had returned. Shaddox looked around at the four Guardsmen that had been surrounding him, now all of them were looking away from him, more interested in Tron than Shaddox. He took advantage of the situation, stabbing three of them in the back quickly with his Disc then getting into a brief duel with the fourth "To Arms!" he yelled at the top of his voice, re-energized by Tron's sudden arrival. Suddenly it didn't seem as if everything was over, suddenly it seemed as if they still had a chance. Thyer and the other two rebels followed suit, re-engaging their opponets with renewed vigour. Tron set upon a larger group of the Guard, pulling out his spare baton and using it as a light sword, he duel weilded the sword and his disc with masterful profeciency, cutting and slicing through enemies one by one. The Guard were now suddenly on the back foot, loosing troopers left right and centre. The Recognizer which had dropped the most recent reinforcements lifted off into the air, its engine humming and booming through the air.

Tron put down yet another enemy and used the brief intermission in combat to survey the battle, only ten or so Guardsmen now remained to their five and they were loosing badly now. Thyer acrobatically flipped and spun his sword around masterfully, with even greater success now that the odds were in their favour. He turned his head, the sound of the Recognizer suddenly grabbing his attention, it stopped forward motion and hovered, then let loose with a barrage of lazer fire. Massive bolts of white energy hit the intersection derezzing the other two rebels and the two Guardmens they had been dueling with ruthlessly, the pilot of the Recognizer more interested in killing the rebels than the safety of his comrades. Tron disengaged the sword mode of his baton, placed his disc back on his back and jumped back onto a light cycle construct and zoomed for the Recognizer. Shaddox grabbed Thyer and the two jumped behind a pile debris as lazer fire continued pounding the intersection. "What in the User is he doing!" Thyer yelled pointing at Tron on the light cycle, in a seemingly suicidal move. Shaddox looked over too, then at a peice of debris Tron seemed to be heading for, a smile crossed his lips, he saw what he was doing. "Watch this..." Shaddox said in an almost confident tone. The Recogniser's pilot had now spotted Tron and fired on him, bolts of energy landing all around him as he sped faster and faster at the chunk of debris laying in such a way that it created a ramp. Tron's bike hit the ramp and into the air, flying straight at the Recognizer's opened up main section. Then like threading a needle, Tron used his weight to guide his now airbourne Light Cycle through the hole. As momentum began to bleed off the bike began to fall downwards, Tron thumbed a switch on the hand controls and a bright blue ribbon of light shot from the back of the bike, the energy ribbon was used in Arena combat, at its side the energy was as hard as a wall, used to cut off the path of travel of an oppenent's bike, causing them to slam into it. At its edge however, the ribbon could cut through just about anything. Tron's bike went clean through the hollowed out main section of the Recognizer, emitting the ribbon from behind, it decended with the bike and cut clean through the lower part of the mid section of the Recognizer cutting the main support beam causing the huge vessel's own weight to tear it clean in half. Tron landed with a thump on the other side but managed to keep control, pulling a full 180 skid and coming to a halt, just in time to see the peices of the Recognizer landing on the ground.

Shaddox and Thyer looked on in awe and confusion, standing up slowly from their cover, it really was him. They really did have hope. They watched as Tron idled up to them on his bike, with a brief flash of blue light it was gone and he stood before them. "I'll explain everything." He assured them. "But right now we have to get out of here." Shaddox nodded in agreement, fighting back the urge to hug his old friend or shake his hand. "We have a safehouse nearby..." Shaddox said, trying to catch his breath. "..Follow me." Shaddox led the way, through the dark winding back streets of Tron City towards their hidden Rebel Base, deep within the Downtown district of the city.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The three Basics moved quickly through a dark alley, their feet splashing through puddles left over from a previous rain. Shaddox led the way, Thyer in the middle, Tron bringing up the rear. Tron stopped and looked back at the mouth of the alley briefly, search lights and the buzzing sound of Recognizers indicating the reinforcements had all ready arrived. Searching for the rebels that had killed their comrades. Tron resumed running down the alley "We need to get off the street." He said in a hushed tone. Shaddox nodded "The safe house is just up this way. Not far now." The three continued running for a few minutes before Shaddox raised his fist, indicating for them to stop then thumbed a few hidden key controls on a wall and hidden door flew open and the three stepped inside.

The lights were off inside the safe house but Tron knew he now stood inside a poorly furnished standard living apartment, unfinished when Flynn had created the city he thought. Shaddox was quick to confirm this, he stood a few feet from Tron, bringing up an interface on another wall. "There are apartments all over the city that were unfinished, this area was redisignated for Industry. Clu reworked the entire street design and building make up." he continued working as he spoke, turning on the lights and sealing the door. "Instead of starting from scratch it was more efficent to just close up the access points to the apartments rather than sift through the data deleting them all." Tron gave one short confirming nod and looked around the apartment. It had been unfinished as he'd thought, they stood in what would have been a living room. Two sofas were lined up against the wall. The Rebels had repurposed the apartment for their own use, two tables now stood in the centre of the room, with data pads displaying maps of this District and the Factory. Shaddox sat on one of the couches along with Thyer, whom now removed his helmet, displaying his goateed white face. "We used this safe house to plan an attack on the Light Tank factory in District Four." Thyer informed Tron. "Obviously...It didn't go quite as we'd expected it..." Tron studded one of the datapads and then placed it down on the table again. "How many men did you loose?" he said in a low tone, as if all ready knowing the answer. "Twenty Eight." Shaddox said, rubbing his forehead and leaning back in the chair, fatigue and frustration taking hold but still his curiosity burned away. "Tron. How are you here? We were all told that you were dead..." Tron shifted uncomfortably on his feet, looking around as if interested in the apartment, he'd been dreading telling this tale. However they had to know. He pulled a chair out from under the table, carried it over and put it down just in front of Thyer and Shaddox and recanted his tail, telling them both how he'd been disabled by Clu and repurposed for Clu's own means. All about his deeds as Rinz|er, how he'd served as Clu's loyal henchman, taking part in quelling Flynn's rebellion and The Purge. Shaddox and Thyer sat still, not saying a word as Tron told them his story right up until he crashed his Light Jet into Clu's to protect the User's and aid in their escape.

Shaddox, Thyer and Tron sat still. No one spoke for a few minutes. Until Shaddox sat forward in the sofa, crossing his arms on his knees. "You were reprogrammed Tron. You could not have known what it was that you were doing. You had no choice!" He said sympathetically, sensing that his old friend was experiencing deep deep regret for his actions as Rinz|er. "If Clu repurposed you Tron, as he has countless others of Basics. You essentially weren't you for that time!" Tron retorted "Do you think that makes it any easier?" He held out his hands flat. "It was still these hands that commited those...those attrocities. Genocide! Murder!" He shouted, stood up from the chair and walked back to the table. "I was brought here to defend this system. Not enslave it!" He lent on the table, the deep regret of what he'd done buring away through his chest. Purpose was everything to a Program, his purpose was to be the Grid's guardian and he'd failed. Shaddox stood up also and walked over to Tron, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Tron, what ever evil Clu made you do as Rinz|er. It can now be atoned for. The Grid still suffers tyranny. The Grid still needs it's true guardian. Now more than ever!" Tron arose from the table and nodded to Shaddox, he wasn't completely convinced by Shaddox's words, however he'd pledged him self to redeeming himself in the eyes of his fellow Basics by fighting for them now.

Shaddox pulled a pad from the table, he knew Tron would have questions, so he decided to answer as many of them as he could before even being asked. Perhaps knowing what they were up against he'd be more focused on the here and now rather than what had been. "After Clu failed to return from the Portal and his Command ship was reported lost. General Tesler took what he said was 'temporary' command until Clu was found." Shaddox began. "Everyone knew he didn't particuarlly care where Clu was or what had happened to him. All he wanted was control." Thyer stood up from the sofa, walking over and coming to a halt by Tron's side. "Within only a few hours a full curfew was in place. Every bridge locked down. Checkpoints set up at every intersection. Recognizers and Black Guard everywhere." Thyer spoke with contempt and hate in his voice. "We'd summoned up as much support as we could get in such a short space of time. Bombing the factory was meant to inspire the people, perhaps bring more Basics to our cause. Maybe even insight a full revolution." Shaddox said "...we failed. They were waiting for us. They knew our next move before we even made it." Tron looked over at Shaddox as the dark Basic paced the room. "Were you betrayed?" Shaddox shook his head "No. Everyone who knew the plan. Went on the mission. Only Thyer and I made it out alive." Tron nodded in agreement, he didn't think either of these men traitors. Shaddox was the first to ever oppose Clu, taking the brave decision to resign his post. Such a thing was unheard of. Purpose was everything to a Program, Shaddox's purpose was to be Clu's assistant during the Grid's construction. He disagreed with Clu's views on the ISOs and walked out on him. Shaddox was a friend of Tron's he trusted him, he was a man of deep integrity. Tron didn't personally know Thyer, but his reputation procedeed him. He'd openly spoken out against Clu during the Purge a dangerous thing to do, even for a Basic with Thyer's skills in combat. Programs were disappearing for lesser things during that time. Plus, Shaddox seemed to trust him. Which meant he was fine by Tron too. "They'd obviously highlighted areas which were high probabilities for attacks and watched them all."

Shaddox now walked away from the table, over to a bit which lay on a small table in the corner and picked it up. "Tesler will be a happy man today. The Rebellion's first and only attack crushed before it even began." he shook his head. "I wished, everyday that you were here Tron. I'm no soldier. I was designed for Administration and Construction duties. Not war or insurrection!" Now it was Tron's turn to console a friend. "You were programmed to lead Shaddox. That, is your purpose old friend." Tron clasped his hands behind his back. "We're getting bogged down by things in the past. If the three of us are going to make a difference we need to focus on what we do next. Not what we did before." Shaddox simply nodded not showing any emotion, he knew Tron was right but his words gave him very little comfort. Twenty eight Basics had been derezzed under his command, a fact he didn't take lightly. "What we need to know first. Is whats going out there now. What their planning, what their movements are." Thyer suddenly intejected. "They'll never find this apartment. Tesler is a good soldier, resourceful, sure. But he's not as well informed as Clu. He wouldn't have had a clue about apartment complexes being redesignated or anything like that. So we can assume for now were safe here." Thyer walked out towards the door, his mask folding out over it. "I'll go find out whatever I can and report back in two hours. You two can brainstorm on what we do next." Tron and Shaddox nodded in agreement, picking up data scroll and pads which were filled with intelligence reports and got to work as Thyer left the safety of the apartment and headed up to the roof tops to begin scouting out General Tesler's plans for this area.


End file.
